LeBron James shrugs off Donald Trump’s national anthem criticism after Sixers’ comeback win
Donald Trump attacked LeBron James on Thursday over apparent pregame warm-up movements the basketball star made while lined up with his Philadelphia 76ers teammates before their season opener against the New York Knicks on Tuesday, and James dismissed the criticism after the Sixers completed a comeback to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 114-106 in Philadelphia. “It must be a slow news day at the office,” James said following the win.
Trump posted a video of James on Truth Social and wrote: “While listening to our National Anthem, LeBron James disrespects our Country! I said right from the beginning that he’s no good, a TOTAL DISGRACE,” and added, “LeBron James should apologize to all of those Great American Warriors and Heroes who died for the American Flag, and all that our Country stands for!” He renewed the attack at a campaign rally in Iowa on Thursday night, calling James’s actions “a big scandal kind of a story”. During his first term, Trump singled out NFL star Colin Kaepernick for his decision to kneel during the Star-Spangled Banner.
The video shared by Trump carried an on-screen caption that read: “LeBron working on his golf swing pregame.” It shows James making lateral swinging motions alongside basketball shooting movements while lined up with his teammates.
Trump and James have traded barbs before, and James delivered his response after the Sixers’ rally. He made the remark immediately after the comeback victory over the Cavaliers, declining to engage further with the president’s criticism.
Sixers coach Nick Nurse described Trump's comments as the sort of external distraction the team has been taught to ignore, saying: “I think that goes right in with other outside noise we’ve already had,” and adding: “I keep saying the same thing. All I really care about is getting to the practice floor, getting them in the film room, getting them to the game floor. “The focus that they’ve had and the intent and all the stuff like that has been outstanding.”
Philadelphia’s victory was notable on the court as well as off it: the win represented both the largest comeback by the Sixers in the play-by-play era (since 1996-97) and the largest comeback of James’s career. James finished with 17 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and three steals; Tyrese Maxey scored 32 points and contributed a crucial defensive effort on James Harden; and Jaylen Brown, also making his home debut in a 76ers uniform, scored 17 of his 21 points in the second half, including 10 in the fourth quarter.
James is 41. He is entering a record-extending 24th NBA season with his fourth team.